Hey it's Andrew with Car Cam Central
We review dash cameras and we're back
with our top three premium recommendations for 2017
Full disclosure we borrowed the Street Guardian camera
and the other two were provided as review samples
Our recommendations are based off
the extensive research and tests we've done
If you haven't seen our top $100 budget camera picks
watch that video first
It'll give you context for what a
$200 camera improves on and if that matters for you
So, let's get started
[Intro Music]
The main reason for getting a premium camera
is that you get both reliability and performance
not just one or the other as with our budget picks
This, is especially important
if you live in hot environments
That's why my #1 pick for any driver
is the $250 Vicovation OPIA2
as it has the best combination of heat resistance,
performance and functionality
in a single lens dash camera
The OPIA2 is the only premium camera
with a capacitor that can rotate 360°
This, is to capture anything like accidents,
road rage or the faces of drivers
on the side of your vehicle
I've linked a few videos captured by drivers
in the description that shows why this matters
Most premium cameras that rotate
like this Garmin 20
have lithium ion batteries
we think at premium prices
your camera should have a capacitor
so you get a product that lasts
Speaking of lasting longer
the OPIA2 has one of the highest
operating temperature limits at 65°C/167°F
This means Vicovation has confidence
it'll work in much hotter conditions
compared to the typical 60°C in most budget cameras
This requires better components and manufacturing
We tested the OPIA2 in our hacked thermal chamber
at 75C for an hour
It was fully functional
and there was no shift in focus
which happens in cheaper cameras
We don't suggest you run your camera
anywhere close to these temperatures
as it reduces the lifespan
From our research good premium cameras
last longer compared to budget cameras
While companies like Viofo are no slouch
good brands like Vicovation can invest more time
and resources into quality control
and assembly
to deliver cameras that
on average
have a longer lifespan
The OPIA2 is more noticeable
compared to wedge cameras
but is still fairly stealthy due to its black color
It's shape is obscured
when using the quick release bracket
which allows the installation
of a 52mm circular polarizer
This reduces glare from your windshield
and is as cheap as $10 for the AmazonBasics model
You also get a suction and 3M tape mount
This is especially helpful for professional drivers
You can use the tape mount in your main vehicle
and the suction mount to move it around
There is an optional GPS dongle
but is expensive at $30-$40
plus
it's another object to install and cabling to hide
Most drivers can skip this accessory
Looking at video quality
so far I haven't found a camera that is better
As a good comparison the OPIA2 improves
on the Viofo A119 which is our top value pick
and has amazing video quality
Both share the same 1440P video resolution
But
the OPIA2 has improved dynamic range
which means better clarity under heavy backlighting
so you can see into the shadows
It also has faster exposure corrections
which means the video won't suddenly white out
like other cameras
At night the level of detail is the best I've seen
That's the result of good engineering
and it's mounted further from your windshield
which reduces glare
Still
I don't want to mislead anyone
At night you can't capture license plates
of rapidly moving vehicles
No camera can do that right now
the technology isn't available yet
It is a good choice for parked recording
as it automatically turns on motion detection
or time lapse if you haven't moved for 5 minutes
Unfortunately, it lacks buffered recording
which saves a few seconds of video
before motion was detected
but from my tests
the algorithm was fairly reliable
in picking up pedestrians and closeby vehicles
When I first reviewed this camera
my only major problem was with error notifications
but that has been fixed with a firmware update
Now
you'll be notified with both an audio
and on screen alert which is fantastic
I want to be clear with the differences over the A119
so you can decide if it's worth the cost
Here's a summary screen that you can pause
and shows the main reasons why the OPIA2
is my #1 overall pick for single lens cameras
I hope you can make a more informed decision
if you're wondering if you should upgrade
My second choice is the
$200 Street Guardian SG9665GC
This is your pick if you *need* a stealthier camera
or find value with its proven reliability
and amazing support from the manufacturer
The Street Guardian looks and works similarly
to the $50 A118
but the hardware is much better
for improved performance and heat resistance
On the front it uses a f/2.0 glass lens
and on the inside
has an upgraded processor, sensor and PCB board
Street Guardian has added many useful accessories
I haven't found elsewhere which include
vibration reducing foam pads
and a card reader for your PC and Android phone
The camera was released in early 2015
and has been continually upgraded
We're holding the second version
with the third revision now released
which has electronic and lens upgrades,
better video quality,
and a free circular polarizer
which is a nice $15 value
Looking at the video quality, it's good
but no longer as great as before
The SG9665GC uses an older sensor and processor
At night the camera has good sharpness
and dynamic range,
it performs well under low light
which is what this camera is known for
The temperature limit at 70°C is lower than the OPIA2
but the SG9665GC is a year older
and has a longer history of proven reliability
under very hot weather
So far
few problems have popped up
There are two other drawbacks compared to the OPIA2
First, there's no automatic parking mode,
you have to manually turn motion detection on
and off
Number two and more critically,
it has the same problems with error notifications
as the A118 cameras
If you don't watch the LCD screen you may miss
that your camera has stopped working
I spoke with the ceo and I'm hoping it'll get fixed
I've watched Street Guardian
prove their claims of making and supporting
their products and customers over many years
The SG9665GC is our first choice
if you want a camera
with proven reliability and great support
from an excellent company
Otherwise
as much as I like the Street Guardian
you should get the OPIA2
as I think it's the better camera
Moving on to premium 1-channel WiFi cameras
we don't have a recommendation
Most of the cameras we found had a 2-channel version
which adds a rear camera
that we felt was the better value
This is a separate camera that attaches to the main unit
and provides a view out the rear windshield
This can be useful after an accident
to show how the other driver's actions like tailgating
or road rage affected your control of the vehicle
We didn't think the other WiFi 1-channel models
was worth the added cost or the reduced video quality
and heat resistance compared to the OPIA2
Still, we'll list options in the description
if that's what you're looking for
Speaking of 2-channel systems our recommendation
is the $400 Thinkware F770 for parked recording
This replaces our older suggestion
the Blackvue DR650GW-2CH
Let's start with design
the F770 is one of the more discreet cameras
compared to other dual channel cameras
While it has a larger footprint
it looks a lot like a toll transponder
so it hides itself well
You might have noticed it has no LCD screen
so you'll need an iOS or Android phone
in order to fully change all of its settings
It also allows you to transfer and view saved videos
I think both apps are good overall
you should find it easy to use
Like all dual channel cameras
the F770 requires a cable in order to connect
with the rear camera
The installation was fairly easy
it just takes some time to hide the cable
for a clean appearance
If you want to use its parking features
you'll need Thinkware's hardwiring cable
to connect the camera to your car's battery
We found the F770
uses less energy compared to most cameras
by measuring the amperage and current
using two multimeters and a 12V car battery
Against the DR650
the F770 uses 23% less energy
This means the Thinkware will have
longer recording times before draining your battery
As well
there's other useful parking features
The F770 raises the recorded brightness at night
as parking locations are often dark
and halves the bitrate for increased recording time
This doesn't lower the video quality much
in urban locations
It also gives you a vocal summary
of any detected shocks or impacts
after you turn on your vehicle
so you can check for damage
[F770] During parking mode event detection recording, [F770] 4 occurred
When you combine the discreteness, efficiency
and other parking features
the F770 is my choice
for a great dual channel parking camera
However, if you only want to record your drive
the value may not be as good
The main reason is the lower video quality
While the F770 is better
than other dual channel cameras
like the Blackvue DR650GW
it pales in comparison to single channel cameras
like the Viofo A119
If we compare the front camera of the F770
against the Blackvue DR650
we find both cameras are roughly equal
with the Thinkware improving on the dynamic range
The rear facing camera is a different story
The F770 is way sharper and clearer
compared to the Blackvue
You can capture faces and license plates much easier
which can be helpful for any hit and run incidents
Still, even with these improvements,
good single channel cameras like the A119
will be much sharper and clearer under all conditions
Dual channel systems require more processing power
and right now there's no cost effective tech
for manufacturers so video quality
will end up suffering
It's especially bad from the cameras
I've seen under $250 American
Therefore some users who want the best video quality
felt using two separate cameras
would be the better value
and
I can agree
The only challenge is to power the rear camera
which requires you to buy accessories
like a 25' cable extension, 12V socket splitter
and a USB charger
We'll release a guide on that in the future
Still there are some advantages to the using F770
over two separate cameras
that may tip the scales in its favor
First off is the easier installation and maintenance
Everything is included in the box
and there's only one unit to maintain
You also get dual save technology
When the F770's G-sensor is triggered
say from an accident
it makes makes a simultaneous backup of the video file
on a separate, internal memory chip
so you have two copies of anything important
There are no budget cameras which have this feature
You also get WiFi as well as
increased reliability over many budget cameras
There's no best solution
so I hopefully have provided you with the information
to make an informed decision on what you think
is worth the money and effort
In the future we'll be releasing more guides
on parking mode and dual channel systems
Make sure to subscribe if you're interested
We also have links to updates, full reviews
and affiliate links to authorized retailers
for the cameras we mentioned
And with that, that's the end of this guide
Give it a thumbs up if you liked it and if you don't,
you know what to do
Until next time
Thanks for watching
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